Series Recap: Yankees strike back in Subway Series split
The New York Yankees returned to The Big Apple dragging a bit but they bounced back to gain a Subway Series split with the inconsistent and hapless New York Mets. It was a decent short set which allowed the Yanks to gain their bearings back in the States, as a nice tuneup for Tampa.
GAME 1
No home runs and a loss to the Mets, what gives? OK, so, the Yankees may have been a tad jet-lagged in their 4-2 loss. There were some positives but the ball certainly wasn't flying out like it did in London.
NEW PAX CITI
James Paxton appeared to benefit from extra rest. The lumbering lefty scattered eight hits in six innings, yielding two walks and one run, fanning three. The only real blip on the radar was a solo home run to right-center by J.D. Davis in the sixth.
Paxton also received some nice glove work behind him on a couple of double-play balls, including one turned by Gleyber Torres and Didi Gregorius in the second and another twin killing to retire Michael Conforto in the sixth.
https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1146232999501008896
VERY SMALL BALL
Paxton and Torres also got it done with the bats in the second against Zack Wheeler.
After two consecutive singles by Gregorius and Edwin Encarnacion, Torres plated the first Yankee run with a single to left.
https://twitter.com/YESNetwork/status/1146205230054305798
A sac bunt by Paxton plated an alert Encarnacion, who scampered home for a 2-0 lead.
ERROR OPENS FLOODGATES
With Adam Ottavino pitching, Peter Alonso reached on a throwing error by DJ LeMahieu, which probably could've been hauled in by Encarnacion. A double to center by Davis served as the equalizer. Juan Lagares pinch ran for Davis and Ottavino whiffed Todd Frazier before intentionally walking Robinson Cano and loading the bases after a single by Wilson Ramos.
Manager Aaron Boone called upon Zack Britton but there would be no inning-ending double-play for Conforto this time, as he sliced a two-run double to left, placing the Mets ahead for good at 4-2.
GAME 2
After another good sleep in their own beds, the Yankees came back energized in the second game against the Mets. A big boost was the performance of Domingo German on the bump. The big bats were back too in a 5-1 victory.
MINGO MANGLES METS
German looked like the guy we thought would be pitching at the mid-summer Classic next week in Cleveland during the first two months of the season. Back from injury, German delivered only one bad pitch, a first-pitch home run to Jeff McNeil in the top of the first. Otherwise, he was efficient, fanning six in six strong innings, scattering five hits and walking zero. German, with some solid defense at third base by Gio Urshela, and by Hicks in center, was exactly the formula the Yankees needed.
https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1146604420513370112
https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1146590047531089924
NO FOOLIN'
Mets starter Jason Vargas wasn't fooling anyone this time around on the other side of town. Consecutive doubles by LeMahieu and Aaron Judge posted the Yankees to a 1-0 lead in the first. A two-out single to center by Torres increased the advantage to 2-0. Torres would also cap off the New York scoring with an RBI-single to left in the seventh.
https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1146594322957160448
The left side of the infield also provided some insurance and thump in the sixth. A solo swat to right by Gregorius sent Vargas packing.
https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1146584541081063429
Reliever Wilmer Font would fare no better, yielding a solo smash to left by the ensuing batter Urshela, who made it 4-1.
REVERSE OPENER
The combo of "Chad Cortes Jr." made a later than usual appearance from the pen. Chad Green whiffed four across two scoreless frames. Nestor Cortes Jr. nailed it down with a flawless ninth.
ON DECK
At 55-29, the Yankees travel to St. Petersburg, Fla. and face the Tampa Bay Rays for a four-game series starting Thursday evening.
Pitching probables, J.A. Happ vs. Yonny Chirinos, Masahiro Tanaka vs. Brendan McKay, CC Sabathia vs. Blake Snell, James Paxton vs. Charlie Morton.